RUGBY CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 142, 12 March 1938, Page 8

RUGBY CONTROL

New Zealand Council’s Decisions MAORI TEAM TO VISIT FIJI International Conference , This Year Opposed / The New Zealand Rugby Council at a meeting in Wellington yesterday reached important decisions concerning the government of the game. It was decided to fall in with the opinions of the South African Rugby Board and the New South Wales Rugby Union, that the Imperial Rugby Conference called for South Africa this year should be abandoned and be held either in London in 1039 or in South Africa in 1940. The council approved of a Maori team touring Fiji in July next. It. was decided to request the New South Wales Union to Agree to curtailing the length of the programme of matches to be played by the New Zealand team in Australia this vear from 11 games to 9. Mrs. S. S. Dean, chairman, presided and others present were Mr. R. T. Meredith, Southland, president of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Dr. G. J. Adams (Wanganui), Messrs. G. A. Maddison (Hawke’s Bay), A. A. Adams (West Coast), A. St. C. Belcher (Waikato), W. J. Wallace, A. C. Kitto, A. McDonald, J. Prendeville (Wellington), King! Tahiwi (Maori Advisory Board), A. E. McPhail (Canterbury), D. M. Spedding (Otago), and A. E. Neilson (secretary). Imperial Rugby Conference. Mr. Theo B. Pienaar, president of the South African Rugby Board, wrote stating that he had doubts about the wisdom of holding an Imperial Rugby •- Conference in South Africa this year because the alterations agreed to at the last conference came into force in South Africa only last season, and in " England they were playing under the new daws this season for the first time. It seemed to him that a revision this year would be too early. Apart from this, the South African Rugby Board has received no remits for consideration at the conference. Obviously items for discussion must be circulated to the countries concerned so that their representatives might have a chance of discussing them. It had been suggested by England that the conference be held In London in 1939. when the Aiis-

trallaht team would be there. As Scotland, Wales and Ireland had intimated- that they could not send delegates to the conference in South Africa this year, it was undesirable that the conference should be held. It seemed to

him most important that conference members should come into close Contact with the other unions of the International Board. He did not wish it to be thought that South Africa had wrecked the conference, but it would do a great deal of harm if one was held which was abortive. Mr. Dean agreed that the Conference should be abandoned this year. The executive of the New Zealand Rugby Union had received no remits from affiliated unions and it was not much use holding a conference when there was nothing to discuss. Mr. McPhail: Surely there are other angles to disbuss than alterations to the rules? Mr. Dean: Personally, I consider it would be better to hold the next conference in London, when we could get into contact with the delegates of the Home unions. Mr. A. A. Adams asked if the New Zealand union had given up all idea of obtaining the right to replace injured players in international matches. Mr. Maddison: Or the 2-3-2 scrum. Mr. Dean replied that they had now been asking for the right to play a 2-3-2 scrum for two years and had not got very far with the suggestion. Mr. Prendeville considered that Imperial Rugby conferences did tc lot of good by way'of general discussions. If the South African conference whs abandoned this year alternatives would be to hold the conferences in London next year, when the ’Australian team would be touring England, or in South Africa in 1940, when the New Zealand team would be in that country. It was not 1 necessary to have remits suggesting alterations to the laws of the game. Such questions as the hours of play in international matches and the burning question of chits for touring players could be debated. ' Mr. Dean said that they knew that a British team would be coming to New Zealand in 1942, and that a New Zealand team would visit Britain in 1945. Mr. Maddison said it was preferable that all Imperial Rugby conferences should be held in London. New Zealand should press for the setting up of an Imperial Rugby Council. He moved that the South African conference this year be abandoned. The motion was agreed to and it was decided to cable to South Africa, England and Australia informing them of the decision. International Rules. Mr. Spedding said it was a pity they could not decide to adopt the International Board rules in New Zealand this season before the commencement of the season. He moved that it be a recommendation from the council to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union on May 4 that the game should be played in New Zealand under international rules this season. Mr. McPhail said that the probabilities were that the game would be played under international rules this season. Mr. Prendeville: You can be almost sure of it. Mr. i Maddison said that Hawke’s Bay would send three delegates to the annual meeting of the N.Z.R.U., and all would be in favour of playing under international rules, with the customary replacement of injured players. Mr. Dean said that Australia considered that it was almost essential that the games with the New Zealand team should be played under the amended rules this year. Mr. Prendeville considered that, as Australia was sefiding a team to England in 1939, they should prefer to revert to the international rules. Mr. Dean said that they should tell Australia that New Zealand was informing all their unions that all matches should be played under international rules this season and, in view of this fact, Australia should be informed that matches played by the New Zealand team in Australia this year must be played under international rules. It was agreed to adopt this course. It was decided to recommend to the New South Wales union that the .New Zealand team should leave Wellington by the Wanganella on July 7, arrive at Sydney on July 11, travel by train

to Melbourne that day and play Victoria at Melbourne on July 16. Eight other games could be arranged by the New South Wales union, the last match to be played on August 13 and the team to leave Sydney for Wellington by the Awatea on August 15. The itinerary submitted by the New South Wales union provided for the New Zealand team leaving Auckland by the Aorangi on June 27, and playing the first match of the tour at Sydney on July 9. The programme included 11 ‘matches, concluding with the match against Australia at Sydney on August 13. Maori Football. On the motion of Mr. Dean, the council approved of a Maori Rugby team consisting of 19 players, with pakeha and Maori managers, accepting an invitation to tour Fiji this season. The team will'leave New Zealand on July 12 and leave Suva on the return to the Dominion on August 2. It was agreed that the Maori team should play a match against Wanganui before their departure and a match against Auckland on their return, subject to the approval of the unions concerned. It was decided that the match lor the Prince of Wales Cup be played at ' Wairoa on May 26. the date of the unveiling of the memorial to the late oir James Carroll. , The council also approved of the playing of Rugby matches between Maori ‘tribes. Ranfurly Shield Rules. When the sub-committee set up to consider the rules governing the Ranfurly Shield submitted its report, Mi. McPhail said they should get away from the idea that the playing of shield games had been injurious to New Zealand football. Having had a good deal, to do with the conduct of shield games, he could say that the incidents which occurred were very small. Canterbury had plaved 13 matches for the shield and had no occasion to take exception to any incidents. A recommendation by the sub-com-mittee was that, any challenges approved by the New Zealand union not played the year in which they were made should be carried ovet. into the next year. Air Maddison moved that the recommendation of the sub-committee be adopted. „ . Lieutenant-Colonel J. G. Roche was afraid that this would mean that the new holders of the shield would be burdened with a welter of matches, which they probably would not want. Mr. Spedding said he was disappointed with the report. He considered that the number of challenges should be limited. , , , Mr. Dean admitted that there had been too many challenges in the past, but the trouble was that, some unions, when they held the shield, wanted as many matches as they could get. Mr. Adams did not agree with the carrying over of challenges from one season to another. Mr Dean said that the rules governing the Ranfurly Shield had worked well in the past. There.had not been many arguments in the past 35 years. Mr. McPhail contended that any union which considered it had a chance of’ winning the shield should be given a chance to do so. Eventually, on the motion of Mr. Maddison, seebnded by Mp. Meredith, the following motion was carried, and will be sent forward as a remit to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union:— . _ - “Should the holder of the shield be defeated in any challenge match, and any challenge matches arranged with the then holder be not played, all such challenge matches shall be treated as having been arranged' with the subsequent holder, and may be played during the current season at such times as shall be mutually agreed between the unions concerned, and failing such agreement, shall be fixed by the council of the New Zealand union.” New Zealand Tour by AU Blacks. Dr. Adams moved that in 1939 a tour of New Zealand be undertaken by the All Blacks. • Mr. Dean said he personally thought it was a great pity that the offer of the 1924 All Blacks to tour New Zealand on their return from Britain and to demonstrate their ability as a team had not been accepted. Half the people of the Dominion, he said, had never seen a New Zealand Rugby team in action. Mr. Prendeville pointed out that such a tour would take three or four weeks. There would be a difference of opinion as to what unions should be played. The matches would be simply exhibition games, and have little educational value. Voices: No, no. Mr. Dean said they were going to be faced with trial matches in 1939 to pick the team for South Africa. Mr. Meredith said the difficulty might be got over by the New Zealand union agreeing to test matches in future being played in smaller centres. Eventually, an amendment, moved by Mr. Maddison, was carried, referring the suggestion to the Wanganui union to bring forward as a remit at the annual meeting of tjie N.Z.R.U. No More Caps. On the.motion of Mr. Dean, it was decided to recommend to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union that in future New Zealand representative players be presented with photographs caps. Loans to Unions. it was decided that the rate of interest to unions for loans in future be reduced from 4 per cent, to 21 per cent, as from January 1, 1938. It was explained that the amount on loan to 21 unions out of 28 was £31,717. It was decided to grant a loan of £lOOO to the Otago union, and a further loan of £.700 to the South Canterbury union.